Movies briefly

HOLLYWOOD  George Clooney may play Batman again despite the drubbing he received the last time he donned the rubber suit, reports Britain's The Guardian.

When Clooney signed the Batman & Robin deal with Warner Bros., he committed to playing the part in more than one movie. It now seems likely that he will stick to his commitment. "George Clooney is going to be back as Batman in the movie," said Darren Aronofsky, who will direct the next picture in the series: "Batman: Year One." "There are no major casting changes."

Clooney first portrayed the Caped Crusader in 1997's "Batman & Robin." Universally reviled and the lowest grossing entry in the series at $107.3 million, the actor, in his usual self-deprecating tone, even criticized himself in the role, proclaiming that he killed the franchise.

Clooney is currently in production on director Steven Soderbergh's Rat Pack remake "Ocean's Eleven," which features an all-star cast including Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. He'll then move on to the low-budget crime comedy "Welcome to Colinwood," which he's also producing alongside Soderbergh.